Covid task forces urges Central Government to imposed nationwide lockdown

At this time of coronavirus surge which has led to oxygen crisis and shortage of ICU beds across the country, experts in the COVID-19 Task Force have urged the Central government to impose a complete lockdown across the country to break the chain of the coronavirus.

The health ministry has already suggested a strict lockdown in at least around 150 districts with high positivity rate beyond 15%. Officials in the ministry and the Covid-19 taskforce are also concerned about high positivity among returnees from Kumbh and in the absence of lockdown, they can be potential super-spreaders in Tier 2 and 3 cities.

The experts argue that lockdown is a must because the way in which the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading, threatens to overwhelm the already creaking health infrastructure.

India on Saturday reported more than four lakh COVID-19 cases and 3,523 deaths in the last 24 hours.According to an exclusive report by the Indian Express, the Centre's task force - which includes experts from AIIMS and ICMR - have met many times during the recent surge in cases.

Significantly, this call for a lockdown comes even as Modi, in his address to the nation April 20, had underlined that all efforts should be made to avoid a lockdown which should be used only as the “last resort.”

In the deadliest week yet of the Covid-19 pandemic, India recorded more than 26 lakh new cases and nearly 23,800 deaths in the past seven days, although daily infection numbers registered a slight drop after hitting a peak of over 4 lakh on Friday.

Active Covid-19 cases in country recorded at 34,13,642: Union health ministry.